2011 Predictions & Game Story
Week 7 - Rice at Marshall
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Oct. 15 at Marshall 24 … Rice 20
CFN Analysis: This wasn’t exactly a smooth game with the offense failing to get much out of the passing game, but the running game, particularly quarterback A.J. Graham, who threw for 110 yards and ran for 129 yards and two touchdowns, but it was the play of the ultra-aggressive defense that made all the difference with 14 tackles for loss with Vinny Curry dominating with three sacks and nine tackles. Terrific on third downs, the defense saved the offense time and again and came up with the key fumble recovery late to lead to the winning score, and the O came through when it had to. Unfortunately, now the offense has to gear it up a bit more with Houston coming up next.
Rice outplayed Marshall in several ways, but the offensive line couldn’t keep the Herd out of the backfield and just 2-of-12 third down conversions turned out to be a killer. Taylor McHargue threw for 150 yards and a score, and Sam McGuffie ran for 70 yards and a touchdown, but the two fumbles were disastrous and the offensive line had a nightmare of a time. With Tulsa and Houston up next, this one will hurt. It’s a tough second half schedule, and for a run defense that’s having a hard time holding up, and with an offense that’s having a rough time manufacturing yards, this was a road win the Owls needed to have.
(AP) HUNTINGTON, W.Va. -- Tron Martinez scored on a 4-yard run with 1:48 to play to lift Marshall to a 24-20 win over Rice on Saturday.
Marshall (3-4, 2-1 Conference USA) trailed 20-17 when it recovered a Rice fumble at the Owls' 23-yard-line with 3:31 remaining in the game. Six plays later, Martinez scored the game-winning touchdown. A.J. Graham rushed for 129 yards and two touchdowns as the Thundering Herd gained 217 yards on the ground.
It was Marshall's second straight win over Rice.
Sam McDuffie gave Rice (2-4, 1-2) its only lead of the game, 20-17, on a 4-yard run with 4:08 to play in the third quarter.
Trouble converting on third downs and difficulty scoring touchdowns in the red zone hampered the Owls. Rice was only 2 of 12 on third down conversions, and settled for field goals on two of its three trips inside the Marshall 20-yard line.
Rice (2-3) at Marshall (2-4) Oct. 15, 3:00
Here’s The Deal … Neither Rice nor Marshall is going to qualify for the postseason with an automatic bid, but that won’t prevent either from striving for an at-large berth that could come with six victories. The winner in Huntington this Saturday afternoon will be halfway to its goal of earning a bonus game in December. The Owls are in a slightly better position, having played one less game, and coming off a confidence-building defeat of Memphis, 28-6. Their other win of the first half was over Purdue of the Big Ten, indicating a respectable ceiling for the program. Marshall is eager to start the second half of 2011 after taking its lumps in September and early part of October.
The Thundering Herd has measured itself versus West Virginia, Virginia Tech and defending Conference USA champ UCF, falling short in all three games. It has, however, been the only team to knock off 5-1 Southern Miss, and beat the Big East’s Louisville two weeks ago.
Why Rice Might Win: The Owls offense hasn’t been otherworldly this fall, but it won’t have to be in order to get past Marshall. The Herd has scored just 40 points in the last four games since the Southern Miss upset. If Rice can simply reach its average of 23 points per game, it’s liable to keep its host at an arm’s length. The coaching staff will look to get athletic QB Taylor McHargue outside the pocket, where he can hurt defenses with his throws and quick wheels. As is often the case, the sophomore attempt to leverage the size of pass-catchers Luke Willson and Vance McDonald, who’ll gain an edge when matched up with linebackers.
Why Marshall Might Win: When the Owls have the ball, it’ll be a case of strength vs. strength. The Thundering Herd D has been carrying the team so far, yielding just 29 combined points in the last two games with Louisville and UCF. Save for the Ohio loss, the unit has been stingy and stout at the point of attack. DE Vinny Curry is a game-changer as a pass rusher, notching 4.5 tackles for loss last Saturday to move to No. 3 nationally in the category. If gets too much attention from the Rice blockers, it’ll create wide lanes for Delvin Johnson, Tyson Gale and the rest of a defense that leads the country is stops behind the line.
What To Watch Out For: Marshall head coach Doc Holliday has put the fate of the team in the hands of true freshman QB Rakeem Cato, accepting the inevitable growing pains that comes with the move. While it’ll hurt the Herd in the short term, the long-term benefits could provide dividends for the next three years. He’s shown flashes of the multi-dimensional skills that helped earn him the job in the first place. When he’s thrown more touchdown passes than picks, Marshall is 2-0. When he hasn’t, the team has dropped all four games.
What Will Happen: Rice has won its last five games at home. Unfortunately for the Owls, this week’s game is outside of Houston, where they’ve dropped 13 of their last 14 games. That’s a tough trend to buck. Marshall will lean on the best unit in this contest, its defense, to keep Rice reeling on the road. The Herd will shut down the Owls’ playmakers, winning the turnover battle to put Cato & Co. in short-field opportunities. In a tight, sloppy affair, Marshall will survive to inch one step closer to .500.
CFN Prediction: Marshall 20 … Rice 17
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